Distinctions
by Midnight Insomniac
Summary: Forced into an arranged marriage, Tenten learns the difference between what is fated and what is chosen.
1. Fate

**A/N: This is based off two drabbles from** _ **A Thread of Scarlet**_ **(** **"Vanity" and "Prince in Love" ). There is more to come!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Fate**

Tenten is seven when her mother takes her to meet a fortune-teller. The old woman cradles Tenten's hands in her own, and tells her after she traces the lines of her palms, that she will be blessed with a kind husband. "Your heart line is very clean," the old woman informs Tenten, but Tenten is young and marriage does not concern her. She waits with wide, curious brown eyes for the woman to tell her something more relevant, but the woman drops her hands and turns to her mother for her payment.

Tenten frowns as she walks with her mother to their home. "That woman is a thief, " she tells her mother seriously, as they wait to cross a busy street, but her mother only eyes her sternly. "You are a very lucky girl, Tenten," she chides, and says nothing more.

Tenten examines her palms as she lies in bed that evening. Her heart line on each hand curves upwards to her index finger, and when she puts her palms side by side, the lines connect to make a perfect crescent moon. The lines _are_ clean, she concedes, her small pink lips twisting into a frown, and she vows to remedy that.

* * *

Years pass and against her mother's approval, she begins to aid her father in his work in the smithy. The smithy is hot and dirty, but Tenten decides nothing feels better than the ache in her back after a long day of work. She examines her hands occasionally, and smiles in secret satisfaction as scars and callouses begin to mar the lines of her palms.

* * *

The war begins at the height of a hot, sticky summer, and her father's smithy is busier than she has ever seen it. They have important clients now, wealthy families and even nobles. There is one noble family in particular, the great Hyuga clan, which seems to have taken a keen interest in her father's work.

The clan head, Hiashi Hyuga, comes to speak with her father one morning, but pauses at the door of the smithy to watch her work, a strange smile forming on his lips. Tenten is eighteen now, and her years of work in the smithy have given her a muscled, lean figure. She has begun to attract the attention of the young men in her village, but so far, to her mother's disappointment, she has harshly rebuffed any attempts at courtship.

Hiashi Hyuga becomes a frequent visitor after that morning, and Tenten sometimes pauses in her work in hopes of overhearing a glimmer of the conversation between Hiashi and her father. The two men always speak in low tones, and occasionally, though Tenten cannot be sure, she hears the mention of her name. She asks her father about it one evening, in what she hopes is a casual manner, but her father only shakes his head and tells her that the business of men does not concern her.

* * *

She only learns of her betrothal after her father has signed an exclusive contract with the Hyuga family. Her mother is overjoyed and smirks in victory as her father calmly explains that she will be married in two month's time over dinner one night. It is for her protection, her father stresses, but Tenten storms from the kitchen and locks herself in her bedroom, angry tears sliding down her cheeks. She is surprised when her mother does not break down her bedroom door and thrash her for being disrespectful, but she suspects it is her father's doing.

She does not sleep that night.

At dawn she examines her hands and scolds herself. _Foolish girl._ Her heart line remains a clean crescent across her palms. It seems her work in the smithy for all these years has done nothing to interfere with the meddlesome hands of fate.

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 **A/N: Thank you for reading and please review!**

 **~M.I.**


	2. Interlude: Cat and Mouse

**A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Cat and Mouse**

As a decorated war hero and fearsome clan leader, Hiashi Hyuga knows that advantages come in many different forms. On the battlefield, advantages come with quick wits and clever scheming and brute strength. But clan negotiations are a far more delicate matter, and advantages are drawn from strategic emotional disarmament. Hiashi frowns, perspiration building on his brow as the smithy comes into view.

As the war draws near, Hiashi knows he must secure the services of a blacksmith or risk sending his clansmen empty handed to the frontlines. But as he crosses the threshold of the smithy, soot already dusting his pristine white robes, he pauses. There is a young girl expertly pouring liquid metal into a mold for a blade. She does so without any visible strain, as if she has done this everyday for many years, her toned arms unwavering in their movements. He notes the confident swagger in the set of her shoulders and thinks of his nephew.

Hiashi's lips curve into a catlike smile as an idea begins to formulate in his mind. His nephew, eighteen and still unwed out of stubbornness and a blatant disinterest in all the aristocrats that have attempted to court him, will be a perfect match for this girl. The daughter of the blacksmith, Hiashi smirks, will be his leverage.

The girl's father comes to receive him then, bowing deeply and ushering him to the back room he uses as an office.

"Forgive me for keeping you waiting," the blacksmith begins, but Hiashi waves away his apology. He is eager for these negotiations to be finished and asks the blacksmith about the girl in the front room. "She is yours?"

The blacksmith is taken aback and answers cautiously. "Yes, she is my daughter."

"Unmarried I presume?"

"Yes."

Hiashi's smile widens. He tells the blacksmith about his nephew with genuine fondness. He is a prodigy, Hiashi boasts, and a highly sought after bachelor. But he is picky and has yet to find the perfect bride. "Your daughter seems to be a humble, resourceful girl. Perhaps something can be arranged between them, but for a price, of course."

The blacksmith eyes him warily. He has not expected this meeting to stray outside the boundaries of business. "A price?"

"An exclusive contract. You will forge weapons only for the Hyuga clan and in exchange, your daughter will marry my nephew."

The blacksmith's eyebrows furrow. He is a novice in making these types of wagers and he chooses his words carefully.

"Why my daughter? She has not been bred for a life of nobility."

Hiashi laughs, a sound he rarely makes, but one that is useful in diffusing the growing tension in the room. Laughter always disarms. "My nephew has no desire for a traditional wife. I can assure you that your daughter is just his type. "

The blacksmith considers this silently, and Hiashi's eyes narrow as if he were examining the armor of an opponent. But the tension in the blacksmith's shoulders tells Hiashi he has found his opponent's weakness, and only a little more pressure will break him.

"It will be best not only for her safety during the war, but also for her future," Hiashi pushes.

But the blacksmith says nothing more and Hiashi knows that he will have to tread carefully. "I will come back in a few days time, and we can negotiate further. I urge you to seriously consider my offer. It is one you and your daughter will never receive again."

As Hiashi walks down the path to where his escort awaits, he looks back once, and catches the blacksmith watching him from the door of the smithy, anxiously wringing his hands like a mouse that has just barely escaped a predator.

And Hiashi knows he has won.

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 **A/N: Thank you for reading and please review!**

 **~M.I.**


	3. Interlude: The Judge

**A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **The Judge**

There are few things that please Neji Hyuga more than a long morning spar. Presently, he takes large gulps of cool water from his canteen and retrieves his shirt from where he had discarded it in the grass. "I think that is enough for this morning, Lee," he calls to his sparring partner and best friend, and leaves the man to clear the grounds of their training equipment.

Neji balls his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face and torso as he makes his way back to his quarters, basking in the soreness of well worked muscles. But his pleasant mood quickly dissipates when he catches sight of one of his uncle's messengers lingering outside his door. His uncle has requested his presence for afternoon tea, the messenger informs him and Neji's brows knit in worry. Hiashi rarely requests formal meetings with anyone in his immediate family. He dismisses the messenger with a nod and enters his quarters, feeling unsettled. It can only be bad news, he thinks grimly as he gathers his things for a bath.

* * *

"Uncle," Neji greets as he is ushered into the clan head's office. Hiashi is already kneeling at the table, and he turns to acknowledge his nephew with a nod and motions for him to sit. A servant hovers nearby, waiting to pour tea for the two men.

Neji kneels across from his uncle, his gaze sharp as he searches the older man's features. "Your training is going well?" Hiashi begins after the tea has been poured, curling his hands around his cup. Hiashi regards him with an easiness that is usually absent in such meetings. Neji's eyes narrow; his uncle is stalling.

"Yes," he replies, and informs him that he has more training to attend to this evening. They discuss his progress and Hiashi asks about Lee, and soon they settle into companionable silence.

"The war is coming, Neji," Hiashi starts suddenly.

"Yes, Uncle."

Hiashi looks as if he wants to say more, but hesitates as weariness overcomes his features. The clan head rarely shows his age, but as Neji waits with dwindling patience for his uncle to broach the true subject of this meeting, he takes note of how strangely prominent the lines of his face have become. What has happened, he wonders, for his uncle to appear so burdened? They sit in silence for a moment longer, until Hiashi moves to lift his cup to his lips.

"I have found a woman for you," Hiashi reveals before taking a sip.

Neji feels an immediate release of tension from his body, though it is quickly replaced with annoyance. _So it is just about this again_. Neji takes a deep breath to soothe his irritation. "I have no desire to marry, Uncle," he asserts as he reaches for his own cup.

Hiashi's expression is as close to remorse as it will ever be as he explains that the contract has already been signed. He speaks calmly, with authority and an air of finality, though he is wary of his nephew's temper.

Neji remains frozen, his cup hovering before his lips. "I don't understand," he finally breathes, the first notes of anger present in his voice.

Hiashi eyes him cautiously. "We have arranged for you to meet your bride tomorrow."

Neji sets down his cup, stunned. But after a moment he demands to know how and why all this came about. The council has granted him the freedom to choose his own bride, he reminds Hiashi in biting tones.

"Yes, but circumstances have changed." The war is coming and his betrothed is the daughter of a renowned and incredibly skilled blacksmith. "Negotiations had to be made, and as it stands, this marriage is not only beneficial for you, but for our entire clan."

"So that is it then? I am just a _pawn_ to you? My father would have never approved of this." Neji glares as his hands fist in his lap. Though Hiashi is stung by his accusation- he loves Neji, truly- he does not waver in his decision.

The servant shrinks into the corner as he watches the ensuing exchange. Neji can be volatile when enraged.

After a brief pause in their argument, Hiashi assures Neji again that his bride will be to his liking, but Neji rises from the table, fuming, and does not even bother drinking a sip of his tea.

"I will be the judge of that," he tells his uncle icily, and with satisfying force, slides the screen door shut.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading and please review!**

 **~M.I.**


	4. Concession

**A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Concession**

Tenten meets her fiancé a few days after she learns of her betrothal. On the day of their meeting, her mother keeps a watchful eye on her all morning, strictly prohibiting her from approaching the smithy. But amid the whirlwind of servants and the general chaos of a household preparing for guests, Tenten manages to slip out unnoticed. She watches the Hyuga party approach from between the shrubbery that lines the back path to their home, her yellow kimono already soiled from the ash of the smithy, and feels dread seize her full force.

As angry as she is, she cannot deny her fiancé's beauty. He is tall and lean and broad shouldered, with dark, silky locks that distinctly contrast with his pale skin and even paler eyes. She can tell he is an aristocrat from his cheekbones alone, as well as the delicate slope of his nose and strong jawline. But he is haughty; that much is clear to her from the way he speaks to his guards, and even the manner in which he regards his uncle. The possibility that she will not be exempt from such treatment stokes a fire in her veins that is hot enough to forge a dagger.

She returns to the smithy with renewed intent of ruining her kimono and soiling her appearance as much as possible before her mother finds her. She is surprised then, when it is not her mother who comes for her, but her fiancé himself. He pauses at the doorway, much like his uncle, and watches her curiously.

"I am looking for a woman named Tenten," he informs her, his eyes sweeping over her and then the rest of the room. Tenten makes a point of staring at the blade in her hands rather than facing him.

"It seems you have found her," she replies, satisfied when she hears the slight catch in his breathing. But to her disappointment, he quickly recovers and smirks as he leans against the doorframe.

"So I have," he counters smoothly. Tenten tries her best to return her focus to her work, but finds that her fiancé has a very commanding presence. She sneaks a glance at him, and her eyes widen when she notices the sword at his hip. He follows the path of her gaze, and with a look of amusement, unsheathes the sword and offers it to her.

"It is your father's work," he tells her, his eyes trailing her fingers as she runs her hand along the blade.

"No," she corrects him after a moment of examination. She settles into a fighting stance, and wields the sword easily though its length is proportionate to her fiancé's height instead of her own.

"It is mine."

She smirks confidently when his posture straightens in surprise, the arrogance in his face quickly molding into growing curiosity and the beginnings of admiration. But before he can comment, her mother comes stomping down the path from their home. She is absolutely livid as she assesses Tenten's disheveled state and her lip curls in disgust at the sword in her hands.

Her mother turns to her fiancé and bows, apologizing profusely, but her fiancé pays her no mind. His eyes have not left Tenten, and after a moment, he dismisses her mother altogether. "We will be along shortly," he assures her, leaving his spot at the door to approach Tenten. Her mother's eyes dart suspiciously between them, but she leaves after giving Tenten a stern glance. Her fiancé waits to speak until her mother's footsteps are out of earshot.

"I have always believed that marriage is a nuisance," he admits quietly, "Even more so when two individuals are forced into a union for the benefit of others." He reaches to touch her, gingerly lifting her chin to meet his gaze. At such close proximity, his eyes remind Tenten of the moon, and she immediately thinks of her heart line and the crescent it cuts across her palms. _This_ is the fate she has failed to avoid, and she gathers the last vestiges of her frustration to glare defiantly, but her fiancé is not dissuaded. He drops his hand after a moment, his expression serious.

"But perhaps," he pauses, searching her face to gauge her reaction, "it will not be such a bad fate." He does not smile, but his tone is sincere. Tenten is taken aback. How could he, of such noble blood, find a woman like her at all suitable to be his bride? Especially after all he has seen today? Her soiled kimono suddenly weighs heavily on her body. She has misjudged him.

And now he is making a concession, Tenten realizes, and she feels her own anger slowly subside, leaving behind only a grim acknowledgement of their shared reality. There is no point in being angry with him, she accepts begrudgingly, and he seems sensible enough underneath his ego.

Tenten feels something in her begin to shift. For a moment she thinks to tell him of the fortune teller and her own vow to never marry, but then decides that she will reveal these things in time. They stand in comfortable silence, until her fiancé warns that her mother will probably drag them both by the ear if they do not return soon, and Tenten is surprised at how easily she smiles for him. He takes the sword from her and places it back in its sheath. As he brushes ash from his clothes, Tenten considers him thoughtfully, and realizes that she does not even know his name.

"Neji," he tells her as he winds his arm through hers and leads her up the path to her home.

She tries his name on her tongue after the Hyuga's have left, and finds it does not taste as bitter as she had thought it would.

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 **A/N: Thank you for reading and please review!**

 **~M.I.**


	5. Interlude: Prince in Love

**A/N: This was originally published in _A Thread of Scarlet_ , but I think it is worth including here as well. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Prince in Love**

As Neji Hyuga's childhood best friend, Lee is able to not only easily read the man's famously guarded expressions, but also accurately predict his mood. He is surprised, therefore, to find Neji smiling, _smiling_ , upon his return from his first meeting with his future wife. The Hyuga had been grumpy all morning as he prepared for the event, and Lee had expected him to be even angrier after he met whatever woman had the misfortune of being his bride. But now he watches with wide eyes as Neji exchanges pleasantries with his guards and even more shocking, kindly addresses the elders of the Hyuga council that have gathered to receive him.

Lee quickly schools his features into a more neutral expression as Neji meets his gaze. "Lee," Neji greets as he approaches, and Lee pauses in wrapping the bandages around his arm to offer him a grin.

"How was the meeting?" he asks, careful to not appear too eager. Neji shrugs, but the lack of tension in his shoulders tells Lee that he is very pleased.

"Shall I set up the grounds for a spar?" They hadn't been able to spar in the morning because of the meeting, and Lee is beginning to feel antsy.

"Later, Lee," Neji replies distractedly, "I think I'm going to meditate for a bit." The Hyuga has already ascended the stairs to his quarters before Lee has time to reply. He blinks slowly as he digests the fact that The Neji Hyuga has actually turned down an invitation to spar.

But after a moment, his features split into a grin. Neji is not only pleased, Lee realizes, as a spark of smug giddiness zings down his spine, Neji is _in love_.

This Tenten woman, Lee muses as a laugh bubbles in his throat, must not be of this earth if she is able to so easily earn Neji's favor.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and please review!**

 **~M.I.**


	6. Interlude: The Strength to Endure

**A/N: Tenten's mother's name, Mirai, means "the future".**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **The Strength to Endure**

Mirai eyes her daughter critically. Though Tenten has always disregarded her lessons on being a wife, she still pours the morning tea with an exact precision, not one drop spilling onto the table or splashing from the cups. But the knowledge that this skill has come from her daughter's work in the smithy and not a careful study of her mother's techniques, irritates her. Tenten has always been a headstrong girl, and as her mother, Mirai has naturally built a tolerance for her stubbornness. But after the previous day's events, Mirai's patience has been stretched thin. Her daughter's audacity to have acted so rudely in front of her betrothed and his uncle leaves Mirai feeling particularly merciless. At her insistence, her husband has already scolded Tenten for her behavior, but he is too gentle, and Mirai is glad when he retreats to the smithy after breakfast. Mirai is far more belligerent, and she knows the only way to temper a fiery soul such as Tenten's is guiltless discipline.

"I cannot believe you. Embarrassing your father and I in front of Hiashi Hyuga and his nephew." Mirai pulls the comb roughly through her daughter's hair for emphasis and twists her strands into two neat buns. Today the ladies of the town have decided to gather for afternoon tea, and Tenten, perhaps in a show of remorse, easily agrees to accompany her.

"And his nephew being such a darling and volunteering to fetch you himself. You are a very lucky girl. Would it kill you to be more gracious?" She brandishes the comb as skillfully as her daughter wields a sword, and she hopes it has the same threatening effect.

"I will never understand why your father permitted you to work in the smithy," she continues, forcefully clipping a hair ornament. " It is no place for women." From the steely look on her face, Mirai knows Tenten is doing her best to ignore her words. She has heard this lecture many times before.

But as she continues to rage, Mirai can feel a panicked tightening in her chest. Underneath all her anger, she is worried about her daughter's future. The traumatic childhood experiences of the last Great War, the heat of the flames burning her family's farmland, the darkness of the forest as her family fled, the endless hours of working menial jobs in an unfamiliar city, and the suffocating desperation that colored her teenage years, still haunt her.

Her desire to keep Tenten from the smithy and train her to be a proper wife is only to make sure Tenten does not have to face the same reality, and the advent of another war has only made her more determined. Hiashi Hyuga is a blessing from the heavens, and has presented her daughter with an easy path for escaping such a fate, and Mirai does not understand why her daughter would risk losing such an opportunity. And as an additional stroke of luck, though Mirai would have pressed her daughter into a noble marriage even if her betrothed were a cruel husband, she is secretly relieved that the fortune teller had predicted correctly: Hiashi's nephew is kind.

"Your fiancé is such a gentleman, so patient even with someone as infuriatingly insolent as you. You should apologize to him." Mirai glares at her daughter through her reflection in the mirror. Tenten's knuckles are clenched tightly, but she does not speak, a rare acknowledgement that her mother is right. She continues to be uncharacteristically compliant as her mother ties her kimono, and remains quiet during the tea ceremony.

When they arrive home after tea, and her daughter quickly changes from her kimono to her work clothes and spends the evening in the smithy, Mirai knows she is crafting something for her betrothed. And though it is not the apology she had hoped for, she understands that Tenten best manifests her emotions in the tools she creates. She shakes her head, exasperated as she gazes at the smithy from the backdoor, and calls her daughter to come for dinner.

Tenten emerges covered in soot, rubbing the ache from her shoulders, and Mirai feels a strange pride swell in her chest. Her daughter does not have the discipline to be a doting wife, but she does have the strength to endure. And Mirai decides that is good enough.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading and please review!**

 **~M.I.**


	7. Interlude: Courtship

**A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Courtship**

For the entirety of his eighteen years of life, Neji has prided himself in the singularity of his focus. To be a strong warrior has been his main goal since his childhood, one that he has sought to achieve through years of strict self-discipline, detachment, and solitude. But a week after meeting his betrothed, he finds himself uncharacteristically _distracted_. Today he remains seated in the grass of the training grounds after his morning meditation, examining his sword, as if Tenten's craftsmanship holds her secrets. To have the skill to forge such a fine weapon means that she has discipline and patience, he deduces, and to be able to wield it so easily means she too desires to be strong and independent. He turns the sword in his hands, a restlessness overcoming him.

His father had always warned him of the dangers of denial, and Neji knows better than to ignore the stirring he feels in him when he thinks of his betrothed. What he feels is different than admiration, he admits easily, but it is only on this morning that he is able to recognize the emotion as _desire_. He realizes that he _wants_ to court her, an entirely alien notion. But Neji is pragmatic, and as he contemplates his options, he decides that action will be the only way to alleviate this impatience in him.

Thus, an hour later he finds himself in the shopping district, fielding Lee's teasing good-naturedly as they search for a suitable gift for his bride. " _The_ Neji Hyuga is actually voluntarily going shopping, and for a woman at that," Lee grins, wiggling his eyebrows. Neji rolls his eyes, but the gesture lacks any heat, and the pair continues to amble in comfortable silence. Though Lee can be overzealous, Neji values his advice. He has already told Lee everything he knows about Tenten, but he reiterates that she will value something practical over unnecessary trinkets. As they discuss ideas, they quickly rule out weapons and hair ribbons.

"I think buying her a weapon would be seen as an insult to her abilities," Lee counters when Neji pauses to admire a silver katana displayed in the window of an antique shop. "True," Neji concedes, "Maybe a pair of hair ribbons, for when she is training or working in the smithy?"

Lee shakes his head. Tenten will like the hair ribbons, but her parents might think it cheap. He has to be careful that his gift does not reflect badly on his clan, Lee explains thoughtfully, and Neji wishes not for the first time that he had the social adeptness of his best friend.

They continue on, browsing the shop windows, until at Lee's suggestion, they enter a small boutique at the end of the street. "Jewelry?" Neji asks skeptically as Lee hovers over a glass case near the door. Lee nods over his shoulder, beckoning Neji to take a look. "It is expensive enough to be a respectable gift and her parents will be appeased."

Neji crosses his arms, unconvinced. "I would much rather buy her something _she_ would like." But at Lee's insistence, he carefully peruses the pieces laid in the case. Lee points to a ruby ring for his approval, but Neji shakes his head, "I don't think she would like the feeling of her fingers being restricted."

Jewelry is not the right gift, Neji concludes, and his eyes sweep over the rest of the shop. There are more cases and shelves filled with hair ornaments, shoes, and tiny trinkets, and a few low tables covered in piles of neatly folded clothing. He examines the clothing, testing the fabric between his fingers. Most of the pieces are of dark shades, with forgettable designs. He thinks they are too dreary for someone as fiery as Tenten, and he is just about to turn away when his gaze fixates on a kimono of light green silk, with dragons embroidered in yellow and red thread. Though Neji had noticed how poorly Tenten had treated her yellow kimono, a sudden irrational desire to see her in this kimono seizes him. It is just so _Tenten_ , is his only rationale and Lee gives him two thumbs up at his selection. Not a moment later the shop owner is carefully wrapping it and thanking him for his business.

"Shall we stop for tea?" Lee asks, though he is already towing Neji towards a small teashop. Neji sternly orders him to let go of his arm, to which Lee jokingly feigns offense, "And here I thought Tenten had begun change you for the better." Neji scoffs, but he cannot bring himself to be angry.

* * *

Neji brings the kimono to her the next morning, hesitating outside the door of her home when he realizes it is just past sunrise and she might not even be awake. But thankfully, it is Tenten herself who comes to receive him. She is dressed in a sleeveless blouse and cotton pants, her hair tied in two messy buns. She is holding a thermos in one hand and a role of bandages in the other.

"Good morning, Tenten. I hope my timing is not of inconvenience," he greets, gesturing at the thermos and bandages. The way her grip tightens around her thermos tells him she is surprised, and the immediate crossing of her arms as she bids him good morning betrays her nervousness. He is always welcome, she assures him. "I was just going to train, but it can wait." She angles her body to let him step through the door.

"Are your mother and father here?" he asks as he slips off his sandals. They are asleep, but she can wake them if he wishes.

"No, no." He is secretly relieved. "I have something for you."

At first Tenten politely refuses his gift, but at his insistence, she carefully peels back the wrapping tissue. She blinks in surprise when she feels fine silk and her eyes fly up to meet his. "It is to pacify your mother. I'm sure she was not pleased about your yellow kimono," he teases. A smile slowly blossoms on her lips, and she excuses herself for a moment. She emerges a short while later, wearing the kimono, and Neji's knees weaken.

She turns once to show it off, the dragons curling around her knees as if they were alive. "What do you think?"

 _Beautiful_ , but Neji cannot say the word. She laughs then and winds her arm through his, and leads him down the path to the smithy.

"I have something for you as well," she tells him, a secretive smile on her lips.

She presents him with a pair of twin daggers, his name engraved in neat script on each hilt. She performs a demonstration, and asks him whether he feels they are a comfortable weight, but he can only smile when he catches her reflection in the blade.

"Yes," he informs her, "Perfect."

She asks him to stay a while, and they walk together through the woods near her home. As they approach a clearing, she reveals it to be her makeshift training grounds. "The target boards are falling apart, but there is no point in fixing them now," she explains ruefully. "But at least," she forces a laugh," my father made me promise I'd help him in the smithy until the day of our marriage."

Neji is unsettled by the shadows clouding her features, but he does not comment. Tenten would not want his pity and he can sense she is eager to change the subject. She wordlessly winds her arm through his again, and they continue on. After an hour she warns him her parents will be up soon, and he takes it as his cue to leave. "But," she hesitates, lightly touching his arm, "this was… nice. We should do this again sometime."

"Yes."

To be a warrior, that has always been his goal. But, Neji mulls, the image of Tenten twirling in her kimono replaying in his mind, perhaps new goals are important as well.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading and please review!**

 **~M.I.**


	8. Interlude: Hands

**A/N: Tamotsu means to protect**.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Hands**

Tamotsu cannot sleep. He stares at the bedroom ceiling, brows furrowed and body tense with worry. The war is coming and there is so much to do, not only at the orders the Hyuga clan, but also for the protection of his own family. His daughter's betrothal has lifted a great weight from his chest, but now he fears for himself and his wife. What if the war reaches the village? What will become of their home? Will they survive?

He remains in bed until his anxiety reaches a crescendo, and he can no longer remain still. He moves to sit, careful not to disturb his wife, and draws back the curtains just enough to peer out the window without letting in light. It is not yet dawn, and the moon is still faintly visible against the darkened sky. Tamotsu does not usually go out this early in the morning, but today he needs fresh air to think. He rises from the bed and changes into a warm robe, and quietly pads past his daughter's room. He pauses at the back door to slip on his sandals and then starts down the path to the smithy. He is halfway down the path when he spies Hiashi Hyuga's nephew headed towards him from the direction of the forest, Tenten cradled in his arms, her face twisted in pain.

When they are within speaking distance, Tamotsu forgoes a proper greeting and demands to know what has happened to his daughter. Neji receives his anger patiently, and calmly explains that he and Tenten had gone for a walk, and that she had fallen and hurt her ankle. "I'm fine, Father," Tenten grits, a warning in her eyes for him to soften his tone.

The three of them head back to the house together in tense silence. Once inside, Tamotsu guides Neji to Tenten's room and supervises as he places her on the bed. Despite his anger, Tamotsu pauses in wonder at how tenderly Neji handles his daughter. Neji kneels to gently lower her onto the futon, and gingerly removes her sandals, stilling when Tenten winces, his movements full of care and concern. "I will make arrangements for the doctor," Neji tells him once Tenten has been settled comfortably. He is gone for a few minutes to speak with his escort.

"Why is he here?" Tamotsu asks once he hears the front door close.

"We often go on walks together," Tenten answers coolly, crossing her arms, her gaze defiant. Tamotsu is silent. As her father, he has a duty to protect her, and in matters of marriage, he does not believe his daughter's preferences matter as long as her safety and her future are secure. But of everything he had expected to come from the betrothal, he never thought Tenten's fiancé would actually bother to court her. He is so stunned by this development that he has yet to formulate a response when Neji returns. A messenger has been sent to the village, Neji informs him, before sitting on the floor at Tenten's side.

His wife, Mirai, had been awakened by all the commotion, and she hurries into the room, a barrage of questions firing from her lips. Once she is convinced her daughter has not been gravely injured, she excuses herself from the room to make tea for everyone.

Dr. Haruno arrives within an hour. As Neji explains how Tenten had fallen, Tamotsu's eyes narrow when he notices the doctor's gaze repeatedly flit in confusion between Neji and his daughter. Hiashi had advised Tamotsu to keep the betrothal a secret, and panic flares in Tamotsu as he worries what the doctor would do if he knew. The war is coming and people are desperate. Abductions for ransom are not uncommon during periods of unrest, and Tenten's impending marriage into nobility will make her a prime target.

The doctor's expression remains smooth as he listens to Neji's explanation, and any questions he has about their relationship remain unvoiced as he examines Tenten's ankle and takes out a role of bandages from his bag. But Dr. Haruno is a sharp man, and as he works his features quickly shift from confusion to understanding. Tamotsu's lips press into a thin line, a feeling of unease washing over him. Tenten remains impassive, but Tamotsu has faith in her perceptiveness.

From the way Neji moves closer to Tenten, his hand coming to rest beside hers on the futon, Tamotsu knows that Neji too has sensed a change in the doctor's manner. Tamotsu studies his son-in-law whilst keeping a watchful eye on Dr. Haruno. Neji is quiet and respectful, but keenly observant, and there is an alertness to him that Tamotsu guesses comes from his military training. Perhaps, Tamotsu considers, he has been too harsh with him.

"Your ankle is sprained. Keep it wrapped properly and avoid putting pressure on it for at least two weeks," Dr. Haruno advises as he finishes tying the bandages, and rises from his place on the floor. He turns to Tamotsu, his gaze suspicious though his lips pull into a friendly smile. Tamotsu's own smile is guarded as he tells Mirai to bring the doctor's fee, but Dr. Haruno stops him.

"There is no need," his gaze flickers to Neji. He wordlessly gathers his things, nodding once at Tamotsu before Mirai escorts him to the door.

After the doctor has left, Neji announces he too must return home. "But before I go, may I speak with you for a moment?" he asks Tamotsu. Tamotsu nods warily and steps into the hall.

"It is about the doctor," Neji begins, his expression thoughtful as he assures Tamotsu not to worry about Dr. Haruno's behavior. "Dr. Haruno is as prideful as he is knowledgeable. To see that Tenten will be married before his own daughter…He is merely jealous. But," he bows to Tamotsu, "I apologize for my carelessness. I will not allow any harm to come to your daughter."

"I know."

Tamotsu's tone is hard, though Neji's display of protectiveness has refined his opinion of the man.

* * *

In the evening a messenger arrives with a package for Tenten. Tamotsu and Mirai hover over their daughter's shoulder as she undoes the wrapping. Inside is a beautifully illustrated tome on weapons used during the last Great War. Tenten's eyes are positively gleeful, all her grumpiness at being bed ridden quickly dissipating as she pages through the thick volume. There is also a note from her fiancé written in elegant script, explaining that the book is from the Hyuga's private library, and that she is welcome to request as many books as she wishes while she recovers. He bids her to rest, and promises that he will visit her again in a few days.

Mirai is over the moon. "Isn't he so _romanti_ c?" she fawns, and Tenten is too excited to even roll her eyes at the statement. Tamotsu says nothing, but he is pleased at the gesture.

* * *

As Tamotsu lies in bed that night, he feels strangely at peace. He recognizes that even if he and Mirai do not survive the war, their daughter, who possesses the best of each of them, will live on in good hands.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading and please review!**

 **~M.I.**


	9. Interlude: Proposal

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story thus far. I know I haven't been able to reply to all of your comments, but I have read every single one and they mean so much to me. More updates are to come!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Proposal**

Birds are the pets of choice for the Hyuga family. Many of the Hyuga children receive birds as gifts, and the main courtyard of the compound, as well as the many private inner courts, house a variety of different types of birds.

Neji has never been fond of the birds. The ceaseless rustling of their wings against the bars of their cages makes him uneasy. He finds it cruel to trap a creature in a small cage when it is normally allowed to roam the expanse of the skies.

Neji feels discomfort creep along his spine at the ceaseless morning chatter of the birds as he walks with a quick and even pace through the halls of the compound. He stops at the bedroom of his younger cousin, Lady Hanabi. He has been tasked with waking her for her school lessons and he breathes deeply to mentally prepare for the headache he is sure will come from their encounter.

After knocking several times, he enters the room to find Hanabi still wrapped in her blankets, feigning sleep. "Hanabi, all the other children are waiting for you to arrive. Get up." It is a lie, but Neji has never been good with children. Usually Lady Hinata is the one to wake her sister, but Hinata is away for a ceremonial tea meeting, and Neji has been assigned the unfortunate job of babysitting his cousin. He crosses his arms over his chest and orders his cousin again to get dressed, but Hanabi glares over her shoulder and retreats further into her cocoon of blankets.

Neji sighs. His eyes sweep across her room. Beautiful silk kimonos have been carelessly strewn across piles of books and toys. In the corner, a yellow canary chirps at him from behind its ornate, white cage. His thoughts immediately turn to Tenten and her soiled yellow kimono. Tenten has been on his mind all morning. She had looked more beautiful than he thought were possible in the dragon kimono he had given her, but he decides it is not enough.

He watches the canary flit restlessly about its cage, and he wonders how Tenten will adjust to her life as a noble. She will feel like the birds, trapped, and something about that thought displeases him. She will not be expected to help her father in his smithy; Hiashi has already made arrangements to help her father hire assistants. She will be expected to be a wife, quiet and obedient, and Neji knows those are two things Tenten is not.

He glares impatiently at his cousin. "I have important matters to attend to, Hanabi," he warns. When she still resists, he is at her bedside in three strides, and in one fluid motion he takes the covers from her. Hanabi eyes him angrily, but she knows she has lost. Reluctantly, she climbs out of bed and shoos Neji from the room.

The only place in the Hyuga compound with no birds is the private library. It is Neji's sanctuary and he heads there after waking his cousin. Usually he comes to the library to study, but today he has a new goal in mind. He had gone to his uncle earlier this morning to ask for the keys to the vaults beneath the library. The vaults contain valuable information on the Hyuga family, but Neji is not interested in family secrets. It takes him only ten minutes to find the documents he is looking for: blueprints.

He settles at one of the few desks in the vault (taking documents to the main floor is forbidden), and carefully studies the blueprints. After half an hour, he places the prints back in their file and ascends the stairs to the main library. He is surprised to find Hiashi waiting for him.

"Did you find what you needed?" Hiashi asks, and Neji is struck by how oddly amused his uncle looks.

"Yes," he replies, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "And I have a proposal."

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading and please review!**

 **~M.I.**


	10. A Good Man

**A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **A Good Man**

Neji comes to visit her often, and as promised, brings her as many books from the library as she pleases. Still bed ridden with a sprained ankle (she has tried to explain to her mother that the injury isn't _that_ serious, but Mirai won't hear any of it), she devours the thick volumes at the pace of one book per afternoon. She reads on all kinds of subjects, from weaponry to biology. In the evening she spends time teaching herself mathematics, and she always has a stack of completed problem sets for Neji to correct (every time he visits, he always tells her that she is a better student than even he was, and she feels her chest swell with pride whenever she thinks of his compliment).

If there is one thing that she is looking forward to when she moves to the Hyuga compound, it is unhindered access to all of this knowledge. She tells Neji this one evening, over steaming mugs of tea, when they have taken a break from studying some of his old military textbooks. He smirks at her, and tells her teasingly that even when she lives at the compound, he does not mind being her book delivery boy.

"You will regret those words," she warns in as serious a tone as she can muster, though she cannot hide her smile.

There is something akin to a challenge in his eyes, and her stomach erupts into butterflies.

* * *

He visits her next only a few days later, but she oversleeps and he spends half an hour conversing with her father in the kitchen while Mirai tries to wake her.

"Sleep well?" he asks amusedly, when they are finally alone.

She grimaces. "No actually. My ankle was paining me last night. I didn't fall asleep until late."

The smirk falls from his face, but she stops him before he begins apologizing. Her injury is not his fault, she reminds him.

Still, she spends the afternoon with her foot in his lap, explaining the basics of her work as a blacksmith, while he gently massages her ankle.

She sleeps soundly that night.

* * *

A week later, when her ankle is nearly healed, he sends her an invitation to attend the festival in town later that evening. Her father refuses to allow her to go. "If you are seen with him you will be a target," he argues, and Tenten is so angry she spends nearly the entire day in her room.

But Neji visits her anyway. "I thought we could at least watch the fireworks together," is his greeting, when she answers the door, surprise evident in her features.

They sit together on the veranda, and watch the fireworks erupting over the town in the distance. "You didn't have to do this," she starts, "You could have gone to the festival with your family. Or with- what was his name? Lee?"

He turns to her, and considers her for a moment with a certain softness in his eyes that just takes her breath away. "Festivals are only enjoyable in good company."

"And Lee isn't good company?"

"He's not the company I wanted tonight."

She laughs and shakes her head. "I suppose you are better company than the walls of my room."

His lips quirk, "I hope so."

* * *

The last time he visits her is a week before the wedding. She is so absorbed in her work in the smithy that she has completely lost track of time, and she is startled when she turns and sees him standing in the doorway.

She begins to apologize, hurriedly wiping her hands on her pants. "Let me wash up."

He shakes his head, a strange expression on his face, and he settles into a chair near her workstation.

He's upset, she realizes. "Is everything all right?"

"I just needed to get away from them."

She does not ask who "them" is, but she suspects he means his family. She watches him worriedly, unsure on what to do.

"You can keep working, Tenten. I just wanted some company."

He stays for an hour, watching her work, though it seems his mind is elsewhere. As he is leaving, he tells her that he won't see her again until the wedding day. "I'm sorry."

She shakes her head, brows furrowing in confusion. "You needn't apologize. I'm sure your family is keeping you busy with all the wedding preparations."

"No. I," he pauses, "I apologize for what they have done to you. What they have _taken_ from you." His gaze is hard with anger as he glances about the smithy, and then at her in her soot covered work clothes. "You belong here."

She takes a moment to respond. Circumstances could be worse, she reminds him. And at the very least, they suit each other (she looks anywhere, but his face when she says this). "Neji, you are a good man, and for that I am grateful."

He remains unconvinced.

"You should get going," she tells him finally. He nods, but then he looks at her strangely again, and reaches hesitantly to tuck a lock of stray hair behind her ear.

"I will see you in a week, Tenten."

"Yes."

She remains frozen in place until she hears the sounds of his escort disappear into the distance.

She shakes her head, touching her ear where his finger had brushed her skin, laughing in disbelief at her fate.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading and please review!**

 **~M.I.**


	11. Mourning

**A/N: No I have not given up on this story! I will update when I can.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

 **Mourning**

Tenten awakens in the early hours of the morning to the soft pitter-patter of rain. She shifts onto her side and draws back the curtains. In the pre-dawn darkness, the outline of the smithy is concealed against the pitch-black form of the forest. Smoke curls languidly above the treetops from the village in the distance. Frowning, she closes the curtains and lies down on her back, pulling her blankets above her head as anxiety settles like a heavy stone on her chest.

Tomorrow she will be wed.

She cannot help her cynicism when she notes that at least fate has given her the perfect weather for a day of grieving- one last day to dream of the futures she could have had, futures that have been thwarted by the injustices of war and patriarchy. She slowly exhales, trying to abate the anger that ignites in her veins whenever she thinks of the absolute unfairness of her predicament.

When she can no longer stave off her growing feelings of restlessness, she rises from the bed and pulls on her robe. With practiced ease, she quietly opens the back door and slips out into the rain.

The smithy is cold and dark, and she does not have the energy to work, but she instantly feels more at peace among the soot and metal than in the warmth of her bed. This is where she belongs; Neji's words echo in her mind as she curls into the chair he had occupied the last time he had visited her. What had his family done to anger him? She is too tired and anxious to think.

Tomorrow she can worry about Neji, she decides, but today she needs to worry about herself. A strange feeling of guilt perturbs her. She feels as if she has failed herself, despite knowing that the circumstances of her marriage were beyond her control. At least Neji will not be a terrible husband, she tries to comfort herself, but even this does little to quell the resentment she feels towards his clan.

She thinks of Hiashi Hyuga and the predatory manner in which he must have persuaded her father to agree to this arrangement. She realizes that even her father, upon whom she had initially placed the blame, probably had, in actuality, little choice himself in the matter. They have both been cheated, and the thought fills her with so much rage she does not bother to wipe away the hot, angry tears that trail down her cheeks in quick succession.

With sudden energy, she springs from her seat and lights the forge. She will not allow herself to be reduced to a blubbering mess by the likes of Hiashi Hyuga. She is not soft like her father. She works quickly, urged on by her temper. When the metal is hot and ready to be molded, her tools are a heavy, comforting weight in her hands as she raises them to strike what she imagines is Hiashi Hyuga's head on the table.

She works and works until her clothes are covered in enough soot that they are as black as funeral robes.

Tomorrow she will be wed, but today, she asserts, in that stubborn way her mother hates, she will mourn in the only way she sees fit.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading and please review!  
~M.I. **


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